The Judge's Wife By Isabelle Allende

In many writings a reader can find that a character will have multiple levels and shifting levels of power throughout a story. In the “The Judge’s Wife,” written by Isabelle Allende, multiple characters can be placed on a sort of ‘chopping block’ when observed. The characters all derive from a power situation that’s desired to be changed and motivation for the change that leads to an altering situation of power. Looking deeper into the characters of “The Judge’s Wife,” the protagonist, Dona Casilda’s shift in power is the most appealing because her power shift is not on the surface. Through research and closer observation it is clear that Casilda desires to change the position of power because of the traditional, stereotypical role she is forced

Casilda was brought into the marriage without knowing what she was getting herself into. She was repressed, forced into the marriage by her family and learned to accept it for what it was. Casilda never went against her husband, Judge Hidalgo. In fact, her motherly ways softened his harsh outlook on life, “So slight an impression she did make that the changes noticeable in the judge were all the more remarkable,” (284). The Judge’s decisions in court were altered dramatically, seemingly he wasn’t so harsh as before when deciding on punishment for crimes committed in the town, but when it came to his enemy Nicolas Vidal he lost his sense of control. He locked the outlaw’s mother in a cage in a sense of hope Vidal would come and save her. When he never came to his mother’s rescue, The Judge still kept the old woman in a cage with no water. The townspeople turned to Casilda since they knew she was the reason of his change in heart prior to this incident. Casilda was aware of what she was to do, still upholding her traditional ways, “she dressed her children in their Sunday best, tied a black ribbon around their arms as a token of mourning,” (287) she walked with her children to the square, with water in tow, to set the old woman free. “Until this moment, Casilda has focused only on her own family and life. Now, she decides to defy her husband’s orders for the first time,” (http://www.hsu.edu). Casilda breaks out of her obedient role and defies her husband, leaving behind the stereotypical role she was assigned to. The Judge is responsive to her actions and releases the woman. The Judge then takes his family and leaves town to escape the townspeople’s’ judgment of his actions and Vidal’s revenge seeking gang of